--- title: "Garage Door Troubleshooting" page_title: "Garage Door Problems & Fixes | Mesa & Phoenix AZ" description: "Find your garage door problem and what causes it — springs, cables, tracks, panels and seals. Written by a Mesa garage door tech." url: "https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/" type: "page" modified: "2026-03-18T17:34:48+00:00" publisher: "Farnsworth Garage Door Service, Mesa, AZ" phone: "(602) 935-9766" --- # Garage Door Troubleshooting Something wrong with the door itself — a snapped spring, a door off its track, a panel that won’t sit right? Find your symptom below. We’ve written up what causes it, what you can safely check yourself, and where the line is that you shouldn’t cross. ## The ones we get called about most [Garage Door Spring Broke See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-spring-broke/) [Garage Door Came Off Its Track See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-off-track/) [Garage Door Too Heavy to Lift See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-too-heavy-to-lift/) [Garage Door Is Crooked or Hanging on One Side See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-crooked-one-side/) [Garage Door Cable Came Off the Drum See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-cable-came-off/) [Why Is My Garage Door So Loud? See the fix →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-making-loud-noise/) ## Every problem we’ve written up (47) ### Springs & Cables - [Garage Door Spring Broke](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-spring-broke/) High risk — call a technician - [What Causes Garage Door Springs to Break](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/what-causes-garage-door-springs-to-break/) High risk — call a technician - [Opening a Garage Door With a Broken Spring](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/is-it-safe-to-open-garage-door-with-broken-spring/) High risk — call a technician - [How Long Garage Door Springs Last](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/how-long-do-garage-door-springs-last/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Cable Came Off the Drum](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-cable-came-off/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Cable Snapped](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-cable-snapped/) High risk — call a technician ### Balance & Mechanics - [Garage Door Too Heavy to Lift](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-too-heavy-to-lift/) High risk — call a technician - [How to Test Garage Door Balance](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/how-to-test-garage-door-balance/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Garage Door Won’t Stay Up](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-wont-stay-up/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Closes Too Fast](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-closes-too-fast/) High risk — call a technician ### Off Track & Alignment - [Garage Door Came Off Its Track](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-off-track/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Is Crooked or Hanging on One Side](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-crooked-one-side/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Is Stuck and Won’t Move at All](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-stuck-wont-move/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Rubs or Binds in the Track](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-rubbing-track/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Bent Garage Door Track: Can It Be Fixed?](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-track-bent/) High risk — call a technician ### Rollers, Hinges & Hardware - [Why Is My Garage Door So Loud?](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-making-loud-noise/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Garage Door Squeaks and Squeals](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-squeaking/) Basic check - [Garage Door Makes a Grinding Noise](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-grinding-noise/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Garage Door Roller Came Out of the Track](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-roller-came-out/) High risk — call a technician - [Broken or Cracked Garage Door Hinge](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-hinge-broken/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Garage Door Shakes and Shudders When It Opens](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-shakes-when-opening/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [How to Lubricate a Garage Door Properly](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/how-to-lubricate-garage-door/) Basic check - [Garage Door Maintenance Checklist](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-maintenance-checklist/) Basic check ### Sections & Panels - [Dented Garage Door Panel](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-panel-dented/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [One Panel or the Whole Door?](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-panel-replacement/) High risk — call a technician - [Top Panel Buckling or Bracket Pulling Out](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-top-panel-buckling/) High risk — call a technician - [Cracked or Split Garage Door Section](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-section-cracked/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Garage Door Paint Fading or Peeling](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-paint-peeling-fading/) Basic check ### Damage & Emergencies - [I Hit My Garage Door With My Car](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/car-hit-garage-door/) High risk — call a technician - [Garage Door Fell Down](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-fell-down/) High risk — call a technician - [Monsoon and Windstorm Damage](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-storm-damage/) High risk — call a technician - [The Bottom Bracket](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-bottom-bracket-danger/) High risk — call a technician ### Weather Sealing & Gaps - [Bottom Seal Cracked and Hardened](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-bottom-seal-cracked/) Basic check - [Gap Down the Side of the Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-gap-at-side/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [How Scorpions and Pests Get In Around a Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/scorpions-getting-in-garage/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Water Coming In Under the Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/water-coming-under-garage-door/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Replacing Garage Door Weather Stripping](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-weather-stripping-replacement/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Settled Slab: Corner Gap and a Rubbing Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-slab-settled-gap/) High risk — call a technician ### Security & Locks - [Garage Door Lock Won’t Engage or Release](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-lock-not-working/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Making a Garage Door Harder to Break Into](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/how-to-secure-garage-door/) Hands-on — moderate risk - [Is the Emergency Release a Security Risk?](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-emergency-release-security/) Hands-on — moderate risk ### Age & Replacement - [How Long a Garage Door Lasts](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/how-long-do-garage-doors-last/) Basic check - [When to Replace a Garage Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/when-to-replace-garage-door/) Basic check - [Repair or Replace? How to Decide](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/garage-door-repair-or-replace/) Basic check - [Insurance and Garage Door Damage](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/does-homeowners-insurance-cover-garage-door/) Basic check - [Is an Old Garage Door Worth Repairing?](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/old-garage-door-worth-repairing/) Basic check - [What to Look For in a New Garage Door](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/choosing-a-new-garage-door/) Basic check ## Garage door anatomy: what every part is called Naming the part you are looking at makes every other conversation easier — with us, with a home inspector, with a warranty department. The terms below follow DASMA’s own industry terminology, with the everyday word first where the two differ. Simplified interior view of a closed four-section door. The ceiling-mounted track and opener are drawn receding into the garage. Not to scale. ### Every part, in order 1. 1 Section (panel) — One of the horizontal sections the door is built from. Most residential doors have four, joined by hinges so they can pivot as the door rolls overhead. 2. 2 Torsion spring — Wound spring above the opening that counterbalances the door’s weight. Under high tension at all times — removal, repair and adjustment are technician work. 3. 3 Torsion shaft — The shaft that transfers torque from the springs to the cable drums. Torsion springs are mounted on this shaft, which DASMA notes inherently provides containment if a spring breaks. 4. 4 Cable drum — Grooved drum at each end of the shaft. It winds the lift cable up as the door opens and pays it out as the door closes. 5. 5 Lift cable — Runs from the drum down to the bottom bracket on each side. Frayed or worn cable is a replace-it item, and DASMA says only a trained technician should do it. 6. 6 Bottom bracket under spring tension — **The loaded one.** The bottom bracket is connected directly to the counterbalance system, so it carries the full spring load whenever the door is down. DASMA is explicit: these brackets “should be adjusted or loosened only by a trained door systems technician,” and many manufacturers now fit tamper-resistant hardware here. Loosening one is how people get badly hurt. 7. 7 Top fixture — Bracket at the top corner of the top section. It holds the top roller and sets how the door meets the header when it closes. 8. 8 Graduated edge hinge (end hinge) — Hinge on the edge of the sections. It holds a track roller and is numbered so it goes back in the right place — that numbering is what makes the closed door sit flush against the jambs. 9. 9 Center hinge (intermediate hinge) — Joins one section to the next across the face of the door and lets them pivot as the door rolls into the horizontal track. 10. 10 Roller — Rides inside the track. On a healthy door you can slide and turn the roller stem in its bracket by hand — if you cannot, something is bent or bound. 11. 11 Vertical track — The straight run beside the opening. It is deliberately tilted back a little so the door does not rub the opening on the way up. 12. 12 Horizontal track — Carries the door back over your head. Its slight upward slope helps start the door down and helps keep tension on the cables. 13. 13 Track bracket — Fastens the vertical track to the jamb. These have to land in solid wood — DASMA has a whole sheet on why mounting into drywall alone is a problem. 14. 14 Strut (reinforcement) — Stiffener across a section that reduces how much it sags when the door is overhead, and adds wind-load capability. 15. 15 Bottom seal (astragal) — The compressible seal along the bottom edge that closes against the floor. In Arizona it is usually the first rubber part to go hard and shrink. 16. 16 Header seal — Seals the top of the opening against weather and light infiltration. 17. 17 Jamb seal — The seal down each side of the opening, usually nailed to the jamb outside the door. Also called stop moulding. 18. 18 Photo-eye sensors — The entrapment-protection beam across the bottom of the opening. Per the DASMA checklist the beam should sit no higher than six inches above the floor. 19. 19 Opener rail — The rail the opener’s trolley travels along, running from above the opening back to the power unit. 20. 20 Trolley — The carriage on the rail that connects to the door arm. Disconnecting it is what puts the door back on manual. 21. 21 Manual release handle (red) — UL 325 requires this handle to be red and easily told apart from the rest of the opener. It should be reachable and no more than six feet above the garage floor. Terminology from DASMA Technical Data Sheet #160, *Sectional Garage Door Terminology* ([dasma.com](https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/TDS160-Sectional-Garage-Door-Terminology.pdf)). DASMA states the sheet “is not to be construed as a standard-type document” and that the terms “are not universal” — manufacturers vary. Photo-eye and manual-release dimensions are from DASMA TDS #167 ([checklist for home inspectors and consumers](https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/TDS167.pdf)). ## Is it actually the opener, not the door? Some door complaints are really opener settings — travel limits, force adjustment, or safety sensors. Worth ruling those out before anyone talks about springs. [Garage Door Opener Troubleshooting →](https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting/) ## Still stuck? We’ll come take a look. Same-day service is our standard across Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Phoenix, and the rest of the Valley. [Call (602) 935-9766](tel:+16029359766) [Book an appointment](https://farnsworthgarage.com/book-appointment-now/) Due for a check-up while we’re out? Our full tune-up is **$39.99** — same price in every city we serve. Serving the Valley ## Where we come out We’re a family-run shop based in **Mesa**, and we cover the whole Phoenix metro. Same-day service is our standard — pick your city, or just call [(602) 935-9766](tel:+16029359766) and we’ll find the soonest slot that works. [Phoenix Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/phoenix-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Mesa Our home base](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/mesa-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Gilbert Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/gilbert-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Chandler Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/chandler-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Queen Creek Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/queen-creek-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Scottsdale Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/scottsdale-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Tempe Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/tempe-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [San Tan Valley Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/san-tan-valley-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Apache Junction Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/apache-junction-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Gold Canyon Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/gold-canyon-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Fountain Hills Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/fountain-hills-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Maricopa Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/maricopa-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) [Guadalupe Garage door repair](https://farnsworthgarage.com/service-areas-garage-door-repair/guadalupe-arizona-garage-door-repair-and-service/) Not sure if you’re in range? Give us a call — if we can’t get to you, we’ll point you to someone who can. Mesa-based · Serving the whole Phoenix Valley ## Want us to just take care of it? If you’ve worked through this and you’d rather have someone who does this every day handle it — that’s us. Tell us what your garage door is doing and we’ll come diagnose it properly. [☎ (602) 935-9766 Call or text — we pick up](tel:+16029359766) [Book online Pick your own time slot](https://farnsworthgarage.com/book-appointment-now/) - **Same-day service** is our standard - **Family-owned** right here in Mesa - **Straight answers** — we’ll tell you if it’s not worth fixing - **Written quote** before any work starts Due for a check-up anyway? Our full tune-up is **$39.99** — same price in every city we serve, and we’ll go through the whole system while we’re there. Mesa · Gilbert · Chandler · Queen Creek · Scottsdale · Tempe · Phoenix · San Tan Valley · Apache Junction · Gold Canyon · Fountain Hills · Maricopa · Guadalupe --- Source: https://farnsworthgarage.com/garage-door-troubleshooting/ · HTML version with images, galleries and booking form. Farnsworth Garage Door Service, Mesa, AZ · (602) 935-9766